Method and apparatus for stripping cylinders of textile machines



Dec. 30, 1947. E- CLARK 2,433,810

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR STRIPPING CYLINDERS OF TEXTILE MACHINES Filed Feb. 19, 1944 8 shams-sheet 1 Dec. 30, 1947.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR STRIPPING CYLINDERS OF TEXTILE MACHINES Filed Feb. 19, 1944 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 E. CLARK Dec. 30, 1947.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR STRIPPING CYLINDERS OF TEXTILE MACHINES 8 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 19, 1944 I I I Il xm. xv

DCC. 30, 1947. E CLARK 2,433,810

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR STRIPPING CYLINDERS OF TEXTILE MACHINES Filed Feb. 19, 1944 8 SheetsQ-Sheet 4 Iaveow: Erma? 020x246,

uzuaaeys E. CLARK Dec. 30, 1947.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR STRIPPING CYLINDERS OF TEXTILE MACHINES 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Feb. 19, 1944 \\I// SXHI vw 5% $-14 n@ Dec. 30, 1947.

CLARK METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR STRIPPING CYLINDERS OF TEXTILE MACHINES Filed Feb. 19, 1944 8 S'hee'ts-Sheet 6 E. CLARK Dec. 30, 194,7.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR STRIPPING CYLINDERS- OF TEXTILE MACHINES Filed Feb. 19, 1944 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 RP@ mimi mt Ef B E o S @S2 im wzm on S Q 29mm ,3x2 MH m Stamm on E N :S @ms E. CLARK Dec. 3o, 1947.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR STRIPPING CYLINDERS OF TEXTILE MACHINES Filed Feb. 19, 1944 8 Sheetrs-Sheell 8 :p T- --l I Plantea Dee.' so, 1941 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOB STBIPPIN CYLINDERS F TEXTILE MACHINES I Ernest Clark, Brockton. Mass.. assigner to Abington Textile Machinery a trust of Massachusetts Works, Abington, Mass.,

Application February 19, 1944, Serial No. 523,102

This invention relates to methods and apparatus for stripping from the toothed cylinder of a textile machine the residue of textile fibres and foreign material which is gradually accumulated and impacted thereon so as to form a mat which is not doied in the usual operation of the machine.

The general object of the invention is to provide a continuously operating method and apparatus for intermittently stripping the .accumulated material from the cylinder in narrow furrows in such manner as to maintain a maximum and uniform production of the machine without interruption of the continuous operation thereof.

More specifically the invention relates to methods and apparatus for intermittently pneumatically stripping material accumulated on a card clothed cylinder or cylinders of a carding ma'- chine in such manner and at such times as to permit the production of a continuous sliver of uniform density and which will not in itself require the attendance of an operator, or at most require a minimum amount of his time.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pneumatic card stripping machine which will insure the production of a clean sliver of uniform density throughout its width with a minimum 'waste of good libre.

I am aware that heretofore vacuum stripping apparatus has been employed for stripping card cylinders some of which has required the interruption of production during the stripping operation and others of which intermittently strip a continuously rotating card cylinder at intervals by singly or simultaneously stripping from the mat of accumulated material widely spaced furrows according to a predetermined pattern so as to leave unstripped areas of the mat therebetween, the pattern being such-that the succession of furrows eventually remove the impacted mat of material from the cylinder.

In such apparatus the stripping has heretofore been accomplished in advance of or beyond the dofer. When vacuum or suction is applied to strip a narrow furrow from the mat substantially all the material immediately beneath the suction passage is removed from the cylinder but on either side of the suction passage the suction has insuillcient pull to remove all the bres acted upon by it and such adjacent flbres are loosened and partly drawn out and therefore project beyond the periphery of the card clothing forming dog tails." Such loosened bres are actually waste and sh'ould not go into the sliver. When such dog tails are produced beyond flats 11 Claims. (Cl. 19-109) which cooperate with the carding cylinder and in advance of the doffer they are removed along with the good material when the sliver is combed from the dofler and form part of the sliver. Likewise, if the stripping is accomplished beyond the doier the "dog tails thus formed are carried along with and so embedded in the fresh iibre fed to the carding cylinder by the licker-in that theycannot be eilectively removed by the ats. In either case therefore a substantial amount of waste is embodied in the sliver.

One of the important objects of the invention is to avoid the introduction of such waste "dog tail" material into the sliver. 'I'his is accomplished in the present invention by reducing the amount of dos tail produced by successively removing, in direct sequence, lengthwise of the cylinder in one direction adjacent furrows from the mat on the cylinder thereby producing the undesirable waste dog tails only along one side of each successive furrow and also by locating the stripping mechanism between the licker-in and the flats thereby enabling the flats to remove and discharge the undesirable fibres and foreign matter of the dog tails as well as so to card the good nbre into a uniform layer which when removed by the doier will produce a sliver of uniform density throughout its width.

By thus stripping in said sequence the circumferential furrows from the mat of material accumulated upon thel carding cylinder between g the licker-in and the flats without interruption of the feeding-in of the stock, the uncarded stock and the furrow in the mat therebeneath are removed by the stripper before the remainder of the stock is carded by the action of the card clothing of ythe cylinder and flats thereby preventing the dog tail or dog tails" from being forced or mashed into the clothing of the cylinder and enabling the iiats to act upon and card the long bres and refill the furrows with good fibre before the carded material upon the cylinder is presented to the doiler and removed therefrom by the doier comb and insuring substantially unuiform density of the sliver.

The method forming the subject matter of the present invention comprises stripping narrow furrows of the material accumulated upon the cylinder of a textile machine by successively stripping in said direct sequence and in repeated cycles from a mat of material accumulated thereon adjoining narrow furrows of said material with uniform periods of time intervening between the stripping of adjacent furrows ands preferably simultaneously stripping each of a plurality of The method further comprises broadly the Y stripping of the mat of material accumulated upon a carding cylinder of a carding machine having a licker-in and flats cooperating with said cylinder of narrow circumferential furrows from said mat of material intermediate of the lickerin and the flats thereby causing the waste material of the "dog tail or "dog, tails" projecting from the mat adiacent the edge or edges of the furrows to be discharged by the flats and the good fibre thereof carded into the furrow spaces to provide a substantially uniform layer of carded material to be removed by the doifer.

A further object ofthe invention is to provide suitable apparatus for performing the methods above described.

These and other objects and features of the invention will more fully appear from the following description and the accompanying drawings and will be particularly pointed out in the claims. y

Preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 ,is a conventional end elevation, partially in section, of a standard carding machine illustrating the manner in which the continuous stripper embodying the invention is applied thereto, parts of the frame being omitted;

Fig. 2 is a detail rear side elevation centrally broken away illustrating the suction conduit as mounted on the back plate intermediate of the licker-in and the flats and showing a portion of the mechanism which is mounted upon the suction conduit for actuating the shutter valves of the stripper mechanism;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail plan view of a suction conduit with an end portion of the suction conduit, having mechanism for actuating the shutter valves of the stripping mechanism, and

showing the shutter valves within the conduit in broken lines;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged side view, partly in sec-v tion, illustrating the mechanism for actuating the shutter valves, the suction conduit and one form of a grill mechanism through the spaces of which suction is applied to strip adjacent furrows from the mat of material accumulated upon the carding cylinder Fig. 4a is a detail view illustrating the ratchetactuating pawls and reversing mechanism shown mainly in dotted lines in Fig. 4;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional view on line 5 5, Fig. 4, illustrating the suction conduit, the valve mechanism with ports thereof in alinement and the passage through which stripping suction is applied to the accumulated mat on the cylinder;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail vertical sectional view on line 6 8, Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail vertical sectional View on line il-1, Fig. 4, of the suction conduit, the shutter valves and mechanism for actuating the same;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail view, partially in vertical section, on line 8 8, Fig. 4, and illustrating also in side elevation the mechanism for actuating the mechanism controlling the shutter valves:

Fig. 9 is a view showing four cooperating shutter valves one above the other in the position in which equally spaced therein are positioned in registry, it being understood that the valves when assembled closely contact;

Fig. 10 is a view diagrammatically illustrating the relative movements of the respective shutter valves during the operation of lthe stripping mechanism; ,v

Fig. 11 is an enlarged detail vertical sectional view of a modification of the invention in which one of the shutter valves is provided with a tubular extension reciprocably mounted in a slot in the wall of the suction conduit and permits elimination of the grill shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 12 is a detail sectional view on line l2|2, Fig. 11:

Fig. 13 is a vertical elevational view centrally broken away of the shutter slide valve having the tubular extension shown in Fig. 11; and.

Fig. 14 is a horizontal sectional view on lin M-M, Fig. 13.

Preferred forms of mechanism for performing the method above described are illustrated in the accompanying drawings as applied to a usual form of carding machine which, as. illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings, comprises usual parallel suitably spaced and connected side frames i supporting the various parts of the carding mechanism, and illustrates the usual roll of lap 2 from which the lap is delivered by the lap roll 3 upon a feed plate I from which it is delivered by a feed roll I to the rotating toothed licker-in B from which it is drawn by the card clothed surface of "-'the' more rapidly rotating main carding cylinder l. The lap or web on the carding cylinder is then acted upon by the usual series of flats 8 which are provided with card clothing and which closely surround and travel in the same direction as that of the periphery of the carding cylinder and serve to draw the fibres into substantial parallelism and from which shorter fibres and foreign material are removed by a stripping comb 8 and a stripping brush i0. The carded fibres are removed from the carding cylinder by the usual card clothed doffer Il which travels at a slower peripheral speed than that of the carding cylinder and the carded rilbres are removed from the doffer by a doffer comb i2 and delivered in sheet form to a trumpet I3 from which it is drawn in the florm of a sliver by a pair of calender rolls i4 and In the operation of carding machines a mat of uncarded waste material accumulates upon the carding cylinder and gradually builds up on the clothing thereof sumciently to interfere with proper carding operation and heretofore the stripping of this mat from the carding cylinder has been accomplished vby stopping the production of the machine and mechanically or pneumatically removing the mat from it, or in other instances by providing pneumatically operated mechanism for progressively removing narrow furrows from the mat by suction applied at spaced intervals lengthwise of the carding cylinder. In usual carding mechanisms the mat is stripped from the cylinder either between the flats and the doifer or between the dofler and the licker-in. Where a vacuum stripper for removing narrow furrows is applied between the flats and the doifer to remove furrows of the mat in the continuous stripping operation the nozzle not only removes a furrow from the mat but also loosens fibres on either side of the edges of the furrow and draws them up so that they project beyond the teeth of the card clothing forming what are known in the art as dog tails.

' vention are illustrated and is not wholly removed by the action of the flats. One of the objects of the present invention is to prevent the dog tails thus produced from becoming a part of the good carded material which forms the sliver. This is accomplished in the present invention by stripping furrows from the accumulated mat continuously at intermittent intervals between the licker-in and the ilats so that the projecting dog tails are acted upon by the flats and the undesirable material removed by the comb 3 and brush I0.

In usual pneumatic card stripping operations the mat is stripped in spaced furrows so that dog tails containing the waste material are drawn up from each of the edges of the furrows. 'I'he present invention comprises stripping in direct sequence adjoining furrows from the mat at predetermined intervals in which case the dog tails containing the undesirable waste materials are drawn up from one side only of the furrows thereby reducing by half the amount of waste material which has to be removed by the flats to produce a clean sliver.

In the present invention the application of suction to Astrip furrows from the accumulated mat is so coordinated with the peripheral speed of the carding cylinder and the peripheral speed of the licker-in that sufcient good bre is carded into the channel from which the furrow is removed to produce a substantially uniform layer of good material before the adjoining furrow is removed from the mat, so that by the present invention a sliver of uniform density throughout its width is produced. n

.The preferred forms of stripper mechanism embodying the present invention comprise a suc` Figs. 1-4, 5. The conduit I6 is provided with a narrow longitudinal slot I9 forming an intake the end of which lies in close proximity to the card clothing of the rotating carding cylinder. A pipe 20, which is suitably connected to the conduit I6, leads to means for exhausting the air from the conduit to produce a suitable vacuum therein. Desirably the conduit is made of complementary sections provided with flanges which are connected together by bolts, as illustrated in Fig. 5.

In the construction disclosed in Figs. l-4 the intake aperture I 9 is provided with a. grill or grid 2| having a series of narrowly spaced parallel partitions 22 forming intake apertures and suitable shutter valves are mounted in the wall ofthe conduit between the suction chamber thereof and the ports for selectively establishing communication between the chamber of the conduit and intake aperture or equally spaced apertures thereof.

Any suitable type of valve mechanism may' be employed to accomplish the purposes herein deherein as applied to a usual carding machine having a carding cylinder 40" in length and rotating at a speed oi' 185 revolutions per minute or approximately 2% revolutions per second. In the preferred construction illustrated the valve mechanism comprises two pairs of shutter valves 23, 24, and 25, 2B, of equal length. one of which pairs will be designated for convenience of description of operation as A and v1? and the other of which pairs will be designated as C and D. The respective shutter valves are provided with four rectangular ports a, b, c, d, and each with three other ports a', b', c', d',

etc., as shown in Fig. 9, and with extensions ofsuitable length therebeyond. The under edges of the shutter valves 23--A and 26-D, which will be described as the driving shutters,'are provided with rack teeth and the shutter valves 24-B and 2li-C respectively, which will-be described as the driven shutters, are relieved by a recess 28 to a depth greater than the length of the gear teeth 21 of the shutter valves 23 and 26. The shutter valves are mounted face to face in a suitable guideway in the wall of the suction conduit, as illustrated in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, and are so actuated as to bring their respective ports a, b,

c, d, into alinement at predetermined intervals to permit stripping of narrow furrows through the apertures in the grill, each of which is approximately Mg", in width.,

Means are provided for so actuating the respective shutter valves that the ports a, b, c, d, of all of the valves, will be in alinement only at predetermined intervals and are so actuated as successively to cause stripping of adjacent furrows at predetermined intervals. This is accomplished by providing means for causing diierential movements respectively between each of the pairs of shutter valves and also for causing dierential movement between the valves of each pair. When, as illustrated 'in Fig. 9, in which the valves are shown in superposed relation with the ports a, b, c, d, of all valves in alinement, provision for such differential movement at the end of each traverse is made by providing the shutter valve 24-B with a pin 23 adapted to engage a slot 30, 1A, plus the diameter of the pin 23 in length, in the shutter valve 23A, and the shutter valve 2li-D with a pin 3l adapted to engage a slot 32, 1/3"` shaped notches 3l and 34x adapted upon movement thereof respectively to raise the detent out of the right angle notches 33 and 33m upon movement of the driving shutters l". The opposite ends of the shutter valves 24-B and' 25-C are provided with right angle notches 36 and 35x, while the shutter valvesv 23-A and 23--D are provided withV-shaped notches 35 and 361:.

Suitable detents 33h, 33a are provided to engage the notches and to restrain the shutter valves having the right angle notches from longitudinal movement until released by the riding up oi.' the detents 33h and 33a upon the angular surfaces ofy scribed. The preferred embodiments of the inthe V-shaped notches 34a: and 34 of the other www f shutter valves. thereby to produce a differential movement of the valves of the respective pairs, as will hereinafter be more fully described.

The mechanism for actuating the shutter valves Figs. 3, 4, 7, comprises duplicate gears 31 and 31a:

which engage the rack teeth 21 of the shutter valves 23 and 28 respectively and desirably are formed integrally with alined shaft sections- '38 and38a: which are mounted in suitable bearings secured to the under sideugwan extension of the Y 8 ,I rotating the ratchets 49 and 49a: and the gears 48 and arto which theyv are attached in the op- 'posite direction, thereby causing Vthe intermediate gears l and 50a: to rotate the gears 45 and 45a: in the opposite direction, and consequently lto rctate the gears 31 and 31m in a direction to cause lthe pairs of slides 23-24.' 2l--28, to traverse in said opposite direction.

conduit I8 which projects beyond the side frame I. Suitable like gears -38 andl 39a: are ilxedly se;

cured to reduced outer end portions ofthe shaft sections sa and :am as illustrated in Fig/s Inasmuch as the mechanisms for intermittently rotating the gearings which respectively actuate the shutters or valves are similar but operate such mechanisms at times in opposite directions those which actuate the shutter 23 have been designated herein by suitable numerals and like mechanism for actuating the shutter 2l distinguished therefrom by the use of the same numeral with the superscript m. In some instances one of the numerals thus designated does not appear upon the drawing because the part is hiddenby other mechanisms.

Means are provided for clamping the gears 39 and 39x upon the ends of the shafts in such manner that the gears can be readily adjusted into perfect synchronism. In the preferred construction shown circular disks 40 are mounted upon the reduced ends of the shafts 38' and 33a: and overlie the outer faces Vof -the respective gears (Fig. 6). Clamping screws 4| extending axially into the shafts serve to clamp the respective gears 39, 39a: firmly upon the shouldered ends of the shaft 38, 38x. Locking keys 42are seated in suitable recesses in the end portions of the shafts 38, 38.1: and the gears 39, 39m.

The gears 39 and 39m respectively mesh wit identical gears 43 and 431: which are rotatably mounted upon stud shafts 44 and 44x which are flxedly mounted in the walls of the conduit and project laterally therefrom in axial alinement (see Fig. 1). The hubs of the gears 43 and 43a: are provided with reduced end. portions upon which circular ratchets 45 and 45a: are flxedly clamped by circular plates 45 and axial screws d1 and keys 42 of the character previously described.

masmuch as it is desired to cause a traverse of the shutter valves first in one direction and at the end of said traverse differentially to move the shutters-of the respective pairs relatively to each other and thereafter cause them to travel in unison in the same direction, means are provided for reversing the direction of rotation of the gears, Figs. 1, 3, 4. In the present construction this is accomplished by providing vpairs of gears 43 and 48a: in all respects similar to the gears 43 and 43a: and mounted upon stud shafts projecting from opposite sides of the conduit and having hubs similar to the hubs 44 upon which are clamped circularratchets 49 and 49a: in the same plane with the ratchets 45 and 45m, but spaced therefrom and providing intermediate gears 50 and 50a: which constantly mesh respectively with the gears 43. and 43x and 48 and 48x as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4.

Suitable means are provided for simultaneously actuating the respective ratchets to rotate the gears 43 and 43x in one direction to cause the gears 31 and 31a: to move the driving slides 23 and 28 in one direction, and alternatively for The preferred mechanism for accomplishing this purpose comprises a'stand 5l which is nxedly secured to the under side of the conduit i8 and is provided with a pair of downwardly extending preferably cylindrical posts 52 upon which is mounted asliding frame 53 having laterally projecting lower ends 54 and 542:, see Figs. 4 and 8.

Plates l5 and 55x are adjustably supported upon screws 55 and 581: which are mounted in the laterally projecting ends 54 and 541: of the sliding frame 53, as shown'in Figs. 4,l 4a and 8. The upper ends of the plates 55 and 55:1: are provided with inwardly extending shafts -51 and 51:1: having enlarged inner bearing portions upon which pawls 58 and 58m are rotatably mounted. The pawls 58 and 58a: are respectively provided with oppositely extending triangular ratchet engaging teeth 59 and 80 and 59x and 60a: as shown in Figs. 4 and 4a, adapted respectively alternatively to engage the ratchets or 49 and 45:1: or 49x, thereby to reverse the direction of rotation of the gears 43, 43x, and the gears 48, 48m, and consequently to reverse the direction of rotation of the gears 39, 391:, and the direction of movement of the pairs of shutters which are respectively driven by the gears 39 and 39a: as heretofore described. v

The pawls 58 and 58a: have bolted to them like reversing cams 6I and Sla: having laterally extending preferably triangular end portions 62, 52u: and 83, 63a: the' edges of each being adapted 4 to be engaged by studs 64 and 341': adjustably secured in -slots 65 in the ratchet disks' 45 and 45a: a short distance from the periphery thereof as shown in Fig. 3, Fig. 4, and Fig. 4a. The oppositely extending portions (i3, 53a: of the reversu ing cams 5i, Sla: are adapted likewise to engage studs 55 and 56a: adjustably mounted in similar slots in the ratchet disks 49 and 49x. The lower ends of the cams 6|, Bla: are provided with downwardly extending triangular projections 58 and 53a: which are engaged by detent rollers 69 and 59x upon the upper ends of slide bars 'l0 and 19a: which are secured by plates 1l, 1in: against the inner faces of the respective plates 55 and 553:. Springs 12 and 12m which engage the lower end of the sliding bars 1 0 and 10x and are mounted at their lower ends upon studs 13 and 13:1: projecting inwardly from the plates 55 and 55a: serve to retain the rollers in engagement with the recesses in the downwardly extending portions of the cams 6I and Bim.

In the construction plainly illustrated in Fig. 4

both pairs of shutter valves 23, 24 and 25, 26 are the end 5.9:: of the pawl Ilz from the ratchet 45::

and cause the end 99:: to engage the ratchet 49a:

thus depressing the roller 59: and the slide barz against the action ofthe spring 1.2m and causing it to roll from the recess over the projecting end 49:: of the reversing cam and thereafter to hold the pointed end 99:: of the pawl in engagement with the teeth of the ratchet 49a: so

v that upon the next upward movement of the pawl the direction of traverse of the shutter valves 29v would be reversed. In the meantime the detent llb has entered the notches lxiand 34m in the slides 25 and 29 and on completion of its iinal stroke to the left the slide v2,5 will be withheld from movement in said reverse direction until the drivenshutter valve 25 has traveled V3" to the right thereby causing the detent wardand downward movement ofthe bar 14. The eccentric 19 is xedly secured to a shaft Il mounted upon suitable brackets 9| which' are connected to the side frame I. The cam shaft 8l has mounted upon ita gear 92 which meshes with a pinion 99 having a shaft provided with Va pulley 85 which is driven by a belt 95 from a pulley l1 -nxedly secured Ato vthe shaft of the licker-in l as shown in Figs. 1 and 8. The bar 1o u has slidably mounted-upon its opposite end s crosshead Il provided with a central vertical 'slot '85 and is slidably mounted upon a bracket Il secured to anddepending from the side frame I of the machine. 'Pins 9| and 92. which are ad- Justably mounted in' a slot 95 in the bracket 90.

respectively limit the' upward and downward \m ovements of the horizontal bar 14. The bar14 desirably is provided with alongitudinal reen- Aitorcing web 94 upon which is adjustably mounted ub to be raised by the sloping side of the 'notchA 20 a counterweight 95 adapted to'be fixedly secured 34x out of engagement with the notch Ila' in the slide 25. and as the pin is then moved to the opposite end of the slot 92 the shutter valves 25and 2B. will-move into unison toward the right.-

By suitable adjustment of the studs 94 and 5l upon the ratchets 45 and 49 a differential movement is also produced between the shutter valves 23-A and 24-B at the reversal of traverse of these valves from the left to the right. As the pin l29 of the shutter valve 24-`A engages the right end of the slot l0 in the shutter valve 23-A during the travel of the pair to the left, the stud 84 is so set as to cause the cam 5| vto shift the pawl from engagement with the ratchet 45 Ainto engagement with the ratchet 45 at the end of the traverse to the left of the pair of valves 29A, 24-B. At this time the detent 93a engages the notches 23, 34 in this pair.` However, as the pii 29 in the shutter valve 24--B engages the right end of the slot 39 in the driven shutter valve 2J-A the shutter valve 24-B will be locked against longitudinal movement until the driven shutter valve 23-A is Amoved 1;/3" to the right when the detent 33a will be raised by the inclined edge of the notch-34 so that thereafter the pair of shutter valves 29-A and 24-B will travel in unison to the right. v a A It will be apparent that after the differential movement between the shutter valves'of the respective pairs has been effected at the end of their traverse in unison to the left, they will all traverse in unison to the right until they are again reversed at the end of the traversing movement to the right at which time differential movement between the shutter valves of each pair will be produced by the engagement of the studs 95 and 96a: respectively with the portions 63 and 63m of the pawl-shifting cams 9i and 5in: in which case the sequence of relative movement of the valves of each pair is reversed before the travel in unison to the left.

Suitable means are provided for accurately reciprocating the sliding frame 59 and the mechanisms carried thereby. In the preferred construction illustrated a rigid bar 14 underlies the sliding frame 59 and extends in parallelism with the side frame I and a cylindrical bar 15 is seated centrally in complementary recesses in the slide 53 and the bar 14 providing a pivotal support for the sliding frame 53; The bar 14 rests intermediate of its length upon a cam 16 and downwardly extending spaced plates 11 and 19 are connected at their lower ends by a plate 19 which engages the eccentric cam.19 thereby during the in. adjusted position by a clamping screw 99 and i By reason of this balancing of the bar 14 upon the cam 15 'rotation of the lobe of the cam upwardly raises the bar 15 bodily until the end of the bar which is guided in theslot 89 in its cross head 99, as shown in- Fig..s, engages the pin 9i so which isvsecured to the bracket 90.- The pin 9| when l.thus engaged forms a fulcrum and continued upward rotation of the lobe ofthe cam 15 swings the bar about this fulcrum thereby raising the opposite end of the bar 14 more rapidly. As this more rapidly moving end of the bar 14 is pivotally connected by the cylindrical bar 15 to the sliding .frame 59 the sliding frame is raised rapidly and the plates 55 and 55a: with the respective pawls which are mounted upon them 40 thus quickly rotates the ratchets engaged by said pawls one step.

Upon further continued 4rotation of the cam -19 as the crest-of the lobe recedes from engagement with the barv14, the balanced bar 14 descends bodily. During the downward movement the end which is guided by the cross head 881 is limited by engagement of the pin 92.

In` order to prevent suchexcessive downward movement of the sliding frame 53 when the bar thus descends as would cause the pawls 58 and 58x to pass over more than one tooth of the respective ratchets, so that whenthe bar 14 is again raised it will rotate the ratchet more than one step, suitable stop mechanism is provided to limit the downward movement vofthe sliding frame 5 9. As illustrated herein stop members in the form of screws 91 are adiustably secured -to the lowerends of the posts 52 and are provided with large heads which underlie the sliding frame 60 53 `and properly limit the downward movement thereof (Figs. 4 and 8).

A Amodiigied embodiment `of the invention is -illustrated in Figs. 11T-14 inclusive which differs from that heretofore described in that the grill in the inlet aperture leading' from the back plate of the 'card to the chamber of the suction conduit I 9 is omitted and the shutter valve 23 instead of being merely supplied with a port a' is provided with a rectangular nozzle 98 which slidably ts in the intake slot of. the casing. The construc tion of the shutter valves 24', 25 and 25 otherwise is as hereinbefore described and the operation of the shutter valves 23-A, 24-B, 25C, 26D, is the same as heretofore described. When rotation of the eccentric causing a positive upthe ports of all the valves are in alinement suc,

tion will be applied through the nozzle 98 to strip the narrow furrow from the mat of accumulated material upon the carding cylinder and by the timed movement of the valves will strip adjacent furrows from the mat at predetermined intervals in the manner hereinafter described with respect to both species o! the invention.

For clearness in describing the operation of the machine the shutter valves 23, 24, 25, 2B, will be reier'ed to respectively as A, B, C, D, and the cooperating ports therein as a, b, c, d, etc.

Fig. l represents the relative positions oi' the shutter valves A, B, C, D, with the ports a, b, c, d. in alinement, and in communication with the nrst aperture in the grill, the apertures in the grill being numbered consecutively as 1X, 2X, 3X, etc.. and it will be noted that a space at the left of the aperture 1X is designated as 0 to provide for the differential movement between the shutter valves of each pair at the reversal=of the direction of traverse of all the shutter valves.

Referring to Fig. 9 it will be noted that by reason of the position of the pin 29 of the-shutter valve B in the slot 30 in the shutter valve A the shutter valves A and B always have their ports a and b in alinement when traveling in unison toward the right and out of alinement when traveling to the left. The shutter valves C and D always have their ports c and d in alinement when traveling toward the left, and out of alinement when the shutters C and D are traveling toward the right. The actual amount of movement of each shutter is however as follows: The end aperture oi the grill which is at the left end of the card clothing of the carding cylinder is numbered 1X, the next 2X. etc. A non-existing aperture beyond the grill is called zero or 0. The movements of the shutter A will be Vg." for 10i/3" or from zero to 30. The movement of shutter B will be 10", limited by the pin 2! in slot 30 and from 1 to 30. The movement of shutter C will be 10%", again limited by the pin Il with slot 32 and from zero to 30. -The movement of shutter D will be 10" plus two movements of t" each or from zero to 31.. This movement is accomplished by the action of the studs OI-Mx, and 66-66, and the pin and slot connection respectively between the shutter valves A-B, and C-D.

Assuming that the ports a, b, c, d, are in alinement, as shown in Fig. 10, to strip a furrow from the carding cylinder, the transverse of the shutter valves will position the ports in the'respective shutter valves as follows: the ports a, b, c, d, are in alinement with the ilrst aperture 1X of the grill which is opposite the left hand edge of the card clothing and suction when applied through the alined ports will strip the first furrow from the accumulated mat upon the cylinder. By reason of the rapid rotation o f the carding'- cylinder and the relatively slow actuation of 'thefshutter valves which are driven from the licker-in shaft the stripping of the ilrst furrow will continue during approximately eight revolutions of the cylinder.

By the mechanism above described the shutter A is moved 1;/3" to the right. I'his will move the port a to the position 2X as shown in Fig. 10, the shutter B being likewise moved to the position 2X. By reason of the fact that theshutter pin 29 engages the inner edge of the slot 3l on the shutter valve A the ports a and b are at this time in alinement. At this rst movement of the shutter A to the right the shutter D is simicard clothing oi' the cardin'g cylinder.

larly moved to the leftl with the result that the shutter C is also moved to the left by reason of the engagement of the pin 3l in the shutter D with the' outer end of the slot 32 of shutter valve C. The ports c and d are then in alinement at the zero position and te" beyond the edge of the The passageway for the flow of air through the ports a, b, c, d, is out of alinement.

Upon the next operation of the shutter valve actuating mechanism the ports a and b are in alinement at'aperture 3X. In like manner the shutter D is'moved at the same but as the reversing stud 64:12, Fig. 4, on the ratchet 45a: has

at this time reversed the traverse of the shutter D it has moved the port d of the shutter D to the aperture 1X. The shutter C has not however moved because the pin 3l in the shutter D has not contacted with the right hand end of the slot 32 in the shutter C until the shutter D has made its full traverse of 1/3". The result so far described is that the port a is at 3X, port b at 3X, port c at zero, and port d at 1X.

'I'he next operation of the shutter valve actuating mechanism traverses the shutters 1/3" and the positions are port a at 4X, port b at 4X, port c at 1X, and port d at 2X. Each successive movement by the operating mechanism will Acarry the shutters A, B, C, D, in unison to the right until the port a is at 30X, port h at 30X, port c at 27X, and port d at 28X,thus completing the traverse of the ports a, b, across M; of the width of the carding cylinder. Inasmuch as three other ports similar to the respective ports a, b, c, d, are provided in the respective shutter valves and spaced apart a distance of 10" with thirty apertures of the grill in each of said spaces, the same relation of these ports of the respective shutter valves above described will be maintained, thus stripping simultaneously four equally spaced furrows from the mass of material upon the carding cylinder.

At the last stroke of the operating mechanism x the reversing stud 66 upon the ratchet 49 has engaged the face 63 of the cam 6| and upon the next stroke swung the pawl into engagement with the teeth of the ratchet I5, thus reversing the direction of traverse of the shutter valve A so that the shutter valve A willnow go from right to left. It will be noted that when the shutter A is reversed from 30X to 29X the shutter B did not reverse because the pin 29 in shutter B had not contacted the opposite end of the slot 30 in the shutter A until it had completed itstraverse and the position of the ports is Ports a l b c d Grmapertm'es. 29X 30x 28X 29X Upon the next stroke 0f the operating mechanism the ports will be positioned as follows:

11i, the latter being opposite the furrow stripped from the, cylinder when the ports a'. b', c, 'd,

were in alinement.

At' this place the reversing stud on the ratchet 4I: engages the face of the cam In and swings the pawl Ils: so that itsend 59x engages the ratchet 45x which controls the sli-utter D and reverses the traverse of the shutter D so that th`e\next position of the ports is as follows:

Ports a b c `d zu; 21x aux x v 14 thcportsa,b,c.d,areinalinement,thearrange mentoftheportswillbeasfollowsr- Pau 1 t e a ormspmum 4x 4x ist um During these strokes the reversing stud z will engage the surface 62x of the cam and swing the pawl- Ilz: so that its p oint 80x engages the ratchet z thereby reversing the direction of traverse of the shutter D so that the next stroke alines the ports as follows:

Porta c b 'c d 5X 5X zero 1X Such misalinement continues with each stroke until the port a is in alinement with the aperture 30X when the alinement of the ports will be as f 11o Ports a b c d o ws s canapa-tum zsx aux 29X 29X 'rom 'l t e a i o mms X This same misalinement of ports continuesuntil dus 30X 25X 25X the shutter A has reached zero at which time the ports will be positioned as follows:

Pom a 1, c ASC that alinement 0f the ports will be as follows:

Grill apertures 1ero 1X 4x 4X Pom; a b c d At this place the reversing stud 84. engages the Grill *Pim --A---f 29X' 2 6X 21X surface 52 of the cam and swings the pawl 5B so that the end 60 engages the teeth of the ratchet 49 which controls the shutter A and/reverses the traverse of this shutter so that upon the next stroke the position of the ports is as follows:

Ports 4 a b c d Grillapertures 1X 1X n 3X 3X Ports a o c d Grill apei'tures 2X and therefore in position to strip a furrow next adjacent to the previously stripped furrow 1X.

This is the first time that the four ports a, h, c, d, have been in alinement, since they were alined with the aperture 1X, consequently the period of time intervening between the stripping of the first furrow and the second is the time which has elapsed during the traverse of the shutters throughout the entire distance from the 1st to the 30th furrow and return, thereby permitting ample time for the filling of the first stripped furrow with good carded material before the second furrow is stripped.

In the continued operation of the machine after two more strokes from the position in which and this misalinement continues until at the end of four more strokes the alinement is as follows:

Ports. a b c d 25X 26X 30X 31X The next stroke reverses the direction of traverse ofjD and the alinement of the ports is as follows:

Ports a b c d 24X 25X 30X 30X Ports... y a b c d Grill apertures zero 1X -BX 6X The next stroke reverses thel ydirection of traverse ofthe shutter A and the ports are alined as follows:

Ports a b c d Grill apertures 1X 1X Aftertwo'more .Y

brougntinto almementa'srouowsrthe mat next adiacent to the previously stripped second furrow. The same sequence of operation v continues until all of the furrows from the v1st to the th will have been stripped. At no time is there any alincment of the ports a.- b, c, d, beyond the aperture 30X in the one direction and the aperture 1X in the other direction.

It will be seen from the above thatthe port a in the shutter A moves from the aperture 1X' (at which time all the ports a, b, c, d, are in alinement) 29 strokes to the rightfthen 30 strokes to the left, and two strokes to the right before the ports are again in alinement at the aperture 2X, or a total of 61 strokes. In like manner, the shutter A will move from the aperture 2X, 28 strokes to the right, then 30 strokes to the left, and 3 strokes to the right making a total of 61 strokes, before the ports a, b, c, d, are again in alinement at 3X. This number of Bl strokes between alinements will continue until the ports a, b, c, d, are in alinement with the aperture 30X. At this point the number of strokes of misalinement will be greater and at the first new alinement it will be found that ports a, b, c, d, will be in alinement again to strip the furrow from the aperture 1X.

It has heretofore been pointed out that the shutters A and B have their ports only in alinement when the driver shutter A is moving to the right and the shutters C and D have their ports c and d in alinement only when the driver shutter D is moving to the left. Thus far it has been shown that a uniform number of strokes between each alinement of the ports a, b, c, d, are 61 strokes, and that this uniformity continues until the allnement of all the ports reach the aperture 30X at which time the alinement is as follows:

Ports a b c d Grill Aperturas 30X 30X 30X 30X Upon reverse in the direction of traverse of the shutter A at this position the next stroke gives the following alinement:

Ports a b c d Grill Aperturas 29X 30X 29X 29X Ports a b c d Grill Apertures 28X 29X 28X 28X This misalinement of ports b continues by t/a" strokes of all the shutters until the shutter A p y 16 rcsches'sero at which time the arransement of theportsisasfoilows:

............................. a o e a zsm. 1x ze ze Las XT Ilitso happens that the traverse of the shutters AsndDreverseatthispolntsothat at thenext stroke the ports are in misalinement as follows:

. Ports A o b c d GrlllAperturea -lX lXmo 1X It is to be noted that at this stroke the ports b and c remain stationary because the pin 2l of the shutter B and the pin 3l of shutter D will not move the length of the slots 30 and 32 respectively until the stroke had been completed with the result that the port c is in misalinement with the ports a, b, and d. 'I'he next stroke positions the ports as follows:

a of shutter A reaches the aperture 30X at which time the ports are arranged as follows:

Ports a b c d erm Apetures sox sox 29x sox Upon reversal of the traverse of the shutter A the ports are next arranged as follows:

Ports a t e av Grill Aperturas 29X 30X 30X 31X Shutter D then reverses and upon the next stroke the alinement is as follows:

Ports a b c d Grill Apertures 28X 29X 30X 30X On each successive stroke this misalinement continues until the port a of the shutter A reaches zero at which time the arrangement is as follows:

Ports. .J a b e d GriliApertures Zero, 1X 2X 2X The direction of traverse of the shutter A is then reversed and upon the next stroke all oi the ports a, b, c, d, come into allnement with the aperture 1X. It will be noted that as the ports of the shutters thus approach alinement the driver shutter A was moving to the right and the driver shutter D was moving to the left in exactly the same way as the initial alinement of all the ports of the shutters were produced as heretofore described.

It will be again noted that shutter A with port a located at the aperture 30X (when all four ports a, b, c, d, were in alinement), that there were 30 strokes for the port a of the shutter A to reach zero, then 30 strokes-to again-reach the aperture 30X, and 30A strokes thereafter for the port a again to reach zero, and one stroke additionally to reach the aperture 1X before the four ports a, b, c, d, were in alinement at 1X, thereby making a total of 91 strokes of 1/3" movements of the respective shutters A and D.

Consequently 61 strokes of the mechanism is required to bring the ports a, b, c, d, in alinement between each aperture from 1X to 30X, and 91 strokes to make alinement between the aperture 30X and 1X. Therefore to make a complete cycle of the 30 apertures to cause the respective ports a, a', a2, a3, completely to strip a card, it requires 61 strokes per aperture excepting one in one direction and 91 strokes in the reverse direction between the stripping of the apertures 30X and 1X. Therefore, with 29 apertures multiplied by 61 strokes added to 1 aperture multiplied by 91 strokes makes a total of 1860 strokes ofthe mechanism to a complete cycle.

In view of the fact that each of the shutters is provided with 3 additional apertures each spaced from the other similar adjacent furrows will be stripped from the mat in the same sequence thereby simultaneously stripping the four sections of a carding cylinder of 40 length.

In normal practice the stripping of a carding cylinder` is carried out once every two or three hours depending upon the class of work produced. This usual stripping` operation requires only a few minutes and produces uneven work and a loss of production.

If it is desired by the present invention to strip lthe card once in 90 minutes the cam which oscilllates the pawl mechanism must be arranged to oscillate 1860 times in this 90 minutes, or approximately times per minute or 3 seconds per revolution. With this speed each alined series of ports will open for one stroke or approximately ture and strip the next 1/3 furrow of the mat from the cylinder.

A cylinder of a card normally runs at 165 R. P. M. or approximately 2% revolutions per second, so that at each alinement of ports at an orice the Ik" passage of the cylinder will vpass the orifice approximately eight times.

Furthermore, in. the continuous progressive stripping of adjoining furrows in a straight line across the face of the cylinder approximately 11/2 hours elapse between the beginning of the stripping of the series of adjacent furrows and the beginning of the next time of again stripping like furrows so that ampletime is provided for the lling in of each furrow before the next stripping of the cylinder of like furrows. As a consequence such continuous stripping of the card will produce a continuous uniform sliver of good material.

Experiments definitely have proved that after stripping, a doifer requires approximately 6 to 8 revolutions to bring card sliver up to normal weight and as doffers run at 4 to 15 R. P. M. depending on the product required it will be clearly seen that the waiting period of 3 minutes between each successive stripping of an adjoining furrow permits the doier to blend in the 18 newly stripped portion of production before the next-adjoining passage of 1/3 is stripped, thus avoiding accumulation of a dog tail of waste material and making it unnecessary to strip the passages non-adjacent to each other, as in previous pneumatic strippers.

It has been shown that-with four shutter valvesl A, B, C, D, having a movement of 31, 30, 31, and 32 spaces respectively that a uniform sequence of openings are made between the wire clothing of the cylinder and the vacuum chamber in the suction conduit. However, the invention is not necessarily limited to this arrangement of movement for if the shutters are so initially positioned that the shutter A has a movement from zero to 31, and shutter B from 1 to 31, and shutter C from zero to 32, and shutter D from zero to 33 the openings in the shutters will aline in an alternative sequence as follows:

Starting the movements with the alinement on 1-1--1-1 and the movement to take the same direction at the start as previously mentioned, it will be found that after. 64 movements the alinement will be 3-3-3-3, and again after 64 movements the alinement will be 5-5-5-5. This sequence will continue until the alinements will be 31-31-31-31 at which time and after movements the alinement will be 2-2-2-2.

After 64 movements the alinement will be 4- 4 4--4 and the sequence continues in uniform alternate openings until the alinement reaches 30-30-30-30 when again after 95 movements the alinement will be 1-1-1-1 as at the start.

Other combinations can be arranged, shutter A from zero to 31, shutter B from 1 to 31, shutter C from zero to 34, and shutter D from zero to 35 will give a sequence of alinements of all shutters at 1, then 5, then 9 and continuing 13, 17, 21, 25, 29, 2, 6, 10, 14, 18, 22, 26, 30, 3, 7, 11, 15, 19, 23, 27, 31, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, and back to`1.

It will therefore be apparent that the present invention is not only capable of successively stripping adjacent furrows of the matted material from the carding cylinder but is also adapted to strip furrows therefrom in alternating or pretermined sequence.

While the invention is described in detail with respect to the construction in which the intake aperture I9 is provided with a grille or grid having narrowly spaced partitions 22 forming intake apertures, and in which the shutter valves are provided with ports adapted to be alined in sequence in the manner herein described, the

same operation will be performed where the grille is omitted and the shutter valve 23 provided with nozzles 98, 98', etc., etc., extending through the intake aperture with the remaining shutter valves cooperating therewith in the same manner.

It will be understood that the particular embodiments of the invention herein specifically shown and described are of an illustrative character and not restrictive of the meaning and scope of the following claims.

Having thus describedk the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

1. Mechanism for stripping the mat of accumulated material from a continuously rotating toothed cylinder of a textile machine comprising a suction conduit having a narrow intake extending longitudinally of the cylinder in close proximity to the periphery of the teeththereof, valve mechanismin said intake having a plurality of narrow areas, and means for actuating said valve mechanism to cause said ports successively to strip in direct sequence adjoining Vnarrow furrows of said material throughout the distances on said cylinder equal to the width of said ports and the spaces therebetween and with uniform periods of time intervening between strippings of adjoining furrows at leastequal to the time necessary to permit reforming of the previously stripped furrow. y

2. Mechanism for repeatedly stripping the mat of accumulated material from a continuously rotating toothed cylinder of a textile machine comprising a suction conduit having a narrow intake extending longitudinally of the cylinder in close prox'mity to the periphery of the teeth thereof, comprising pairs of cooperating longitudinally reciprocable valves reciprocably mounted in said intake each having a plurality of equally spaced ports which when in registry will simultaneously strip narrow furrows of said material from said cylinder, means for differentially actuating said valves to bring the respective" ports into registry progressively to strip adjoining furrows from said mat at predetermined time intervals not less than that required for said valves to traverse the entire length of the cylinder in both directions.

3. Mechanism for repeatedly stripping the mat of accumulated material from a continuously rotating toothed cylinder of a textile machine comprising a suction conduit having a narrow intake extending longitudinally of the cylinder in close proximity to the periphery of the teeth thereof, comprising a plurality of complementary pairs of longitudinally reciprocable valves mounted in said intake each having a plurality of rectangular equally spaced ports which when in registry will strip narrow furrows of said material from said mat, means for reciprocating said valves jointly lengthwise of said cylinder, means for causing a relative movement of the valves of each pair at each end of the longitudinal traverse thereof, and means for causing a relative longitudinal movement of the pairs oi valves at each end of the longitudinal traverse thereof operable successively to bring like ports of all valves into registry at predetermined time intervals progressively to strip adjoining furrows from said mat in successive cycles.

4. Mechanism for repeatedly stripping the mat of accumulated material from a. continuously rotating toothed cylinder of a textile machine comprising a suction conduit having a narrow intake extending longitudinally of the cylinder in close proximity to the periphery of the teeth thereof, comprising a plurality of complementary pairs of longitudinally reciprocable driving and driven valves mounted in said intake having equally spaced ports which when successively in registry will strip adjoining narrow furrows of material from said mat, means for simultaneously reciprocating the driving valves of each pair, means for causing the driving valve of each pair to drive its companion valve,means for causing relative longitudinal movement between the driving and driven valve of each pair at each reversal of direction of traverse, and means for causing longitudinal movement of one pair of valves relatively to the other at said reversal of traverse operable to bring the successive ports of all valves into registry at predetermined time intervals progressively to strip adjoining furrows from said mat.

5. Mechanism for repeatedly stripping the mat of accumulated material from a continuously rotating toothed cylinder of a textile machine comprising a suction conduit having a narrow intake extending longitudinally of the cylinder in close proximity to the periphery of the teeth thereof, comprising two pairs of complementary contacting driving and driven valves longitudinally movable in said intake and having equally spaced ports, the driving valve of each pair being provided with a toothed rack and the driven valve being recessed alongside said rack, pin and slot connections between the valves of each pair to provide a limited longitudinal movement therebetween at each reversal 4of traverse, independent gears engaging the respective racks, means for intermittently actuating said rack-engaging gears in unison to' cause the valves to travel `c0n jointly in the same direction of traverse, means for reversing the direction of rotation of said driving gears, thereby to cause a reversal of the direction of traverse of said pairs of valves operable in conjunction with the relative movement of the valves of each pair to bring the ports of all valves into registry in predetermined cycles progressively to strip adjoining narrow furrows from said mat and to cause misalinement of the portsof said valves during all other movements of saidvalves.

6. Mechanism for repeatedly stripping the mat of accumulated material from a continuously rotating toothed cylinder of a textile machine comprising a suction conduit having a narrow intake extending longitudinally of the cylinder in close proximity to the periphery of the teeth thereof, comprising two pairs of complementary contacting driving and driven valves longitudinally movable in said intake and having equally spaced ports, the driving valve of each pair being provided with a toothed rack and the driven valve being recessed alongside said rack, pin and slot connections between the valves of each pair to provide a limited relative movement therebetween at each reversal of traverse, independent gears engaging the respective racks, pawl and ratchet means for intermittently actuating said rack-engaging gears in unison in one direction to cause the valves to travel conjointly in the same direction of traverse, means operable by said pawl and ratchet mechanism to reverse the direction of rotation of said driving gears, thereby to cause a reversal of the direction of traverse of said pairs of valves and operable in conjunction with the relative movement of the valves of each pair to bring the ports of all valves into registry in predetermined cyclesprogressively to strip adjoining narrow furrows from said mat and to cause misalinement of the ports during all other movements of said valves.

'7. Mechanism for repeatedly stripping the mat of accumulated material from a continuously rotating toothed cylinder of a textile machine comprising a suction conduit having a narrow intake extending longitudinally of the cylinder in close proximity to the periphery of the teeth thereof, comprising two pairs of complementary contacting driving and driven valves longitudinallymovable in said intake and having equally spaced ports, the driving valve of each pair being provided with a toothed rack and the driven valve being recessed alongside said rack. pin and slot connections between the valves of each pair to provide a limited relative movement therebetween at each reversal of traverse, main gears engaging respectively rack-driving gears, each rack-driving gear having a circularlratchet disk secured thereto, like complementary reversing gears provided with like ratchets geared by intermediate gears respectively to said main gears, reversible pawls reciprocably mounted between the respective ratchets of the main and complementary gears, and adjustable means on the respective ratchets for causing said pawls alternately to engage the ratchets of the respective main and complementary gears so to reverse the direction of traverse of the pairs of valves and to cause such relative movements of the valves of each pair as to bring like ports of all valves into registry in predetermined sequence progressively to strip adjoining furrows from said mat and to cause misalinement of the respective ports during all other movements of said valve.

8. Mechanism for repeatedly stripping the mat of accumulated material from a continuously rotating toothed cylinder of a textile machine comprising a suction conduit having a narrow intake extending longitudinally of the cylinder in close proximity to the periphery of the teeth thereof, a plurality of pairs of valves reciprocably mounted in said intake having equally spaced ports, means for reciprocating said valves to produce differential movements of.said pairs at each end of traverse including like main gears each having a circular ratchet attached thereto, like coml plementary reversing gears having like circular ratchets attached thereto, gears intermediate of said main and complementary gears, a slide reciprocably mounted on said conduit having reversible pawls extending between the respective ratchets of said main and complementary gears, adjustable means on said ratchets for causing the pawls alternately to engage the ratchets of the main and complementary gears to reverse the direction of traverse of said valves, a bodily movable counterbalanced bar centrally mounted on a cam and having one end pivotally supporting said slide, adjustable means for limiting, the upward movement of the opposite end of said bar upon rotation of said camthereby to cause a quick actuating movement of said pawls, anda re sulting quick movement of the ypairs of valves.

9. The method of continuously cleaninga ro-x., tatingA toothed cylinder of a textile apparatus;r

which comprises simultaneously stripping fromv the mat on thegcylinder a plurality of equally spaced relatively'narrow f urrows of uniform width by applying suction to spaced areas of said cylindex' fora plurality of revolutions of said cylinder, and -successively repeating said stripping operation intermittently to like areas of said cylinder adjoining each preceding furrow and in direct sequence, each intermittent operation being Number delayed a sufficient time to permit the necessary number of rotations of the cylinder to enable a reforming of the mat at the areas of the removed furrows.

10. The method of stripping the mat of accumulated material from a continuously rotating toothed cylinder of a textile machine which consists in simultaneously stripping equal divisional areas of the mat by a series of synchronized simultaneous operations each of which removes a corresponding furrow of each divided area of the mat, repeating the simultaneous stripping operation by stripping in direct sequence adjoining furrows in each group area until all of the divided areas are entirely stripped, and delaying the individual synchronized stripping operation between corresponding adjoining furrows of each group for a time interval suillcient to permit filling of the stripped furrow with carded material, whereby the stripped furrows are rebuilt before the following stripping operation.

11. The method of cleaning the continuously rotating carding cylinder of a carding machine having a licker-in for feeding a lap of brous stock to the carding cylinder and traveling ilats cooperating with said cylinder, which comprises stripping within the space between the lickerin and the flats a plurality of equally spaced circumferential furrows ofstock which dene equal lineal areas of said cylinder, and intermittently repeating the stripping operation to remove from said cylinder in uniform and direct sequence additional furrows of said stock adjoining the first formed furrows, the period of v)time between each intermittent stripping operation being sufficient to permit filling of the. stripped furrow with carded material. whereby the stripped furrows are rebuilt before the following stripping operation.

ERNEST CLARK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ille of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date V1,327,696 Boozer Jan. 13, 1920 l 1,424,598 Smith Aug. 1, 1922 2,294,336 Goldsmith Aug. 25, 1942 2,327,349 Goldsmith Aug. 24, 1943 i FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country "Date 16,300 Great Britain 1910 148,614 Great Britain July 22, 1920 

